Kill pigeons now, before they're infected

With all of the concern about a possible pandemic, why should the state wait to cull Hawaii's crop of pigeons? Why would the Health Department wait until they actually become a true threat to our health before trying to control the bird's numbers? Birdbrains, we need to think ahead.

We have the opportunity to do something about the pigeon population now. Please understand, I love birds. I have three. So although I would not participate, I'm sure there are some forward-thinking gourmets who wouldn't mind a crisp chardonnay with their roasted pigeon. If that doesn't "fly," I know the food bank is always asking for meat. OK, I just can't resist -- Kill two birds with one stone.

Humor made wet isle vacation easier to bear

In March my husband and I made our first trip to Hawaii. Every morning we read the Star-Bulletin. Charles Memminger's "Honolulu Lite" column was a happy way to start each day, and a great distraction when things were not going so well.

There was lots of rain, flooding and the sewer system was about to crash. I got a rash from walking along the water in Waikiki. Our hotel rooms leaked -- we had to move three times! There were smokers and one-way streets everywhere. Ha! But in spite of all that (and a few other things), I did fall in love with Hawaii. I walked all over town or sat on my balcony listening to Hawaiian music and thought about the funny things Memminger wrote.

Now we are at home in Ventura, Calif., and read "Honolulu Lite" online. The world is definitely more fun with Memminger in it.

Botswana, Hawaii still can help each other

Thanks to Russ Lynch (Letters, May 30) for the reminder about Botswana and how quickly 40 years goes by.

Five years ago we traveled in Botswana for two weeks with the just-retired minister of finance. His signature was on all the currency and he had historical and hysterical tales of Botswana that made the trip very special.

Our host noted that Hawaii had given Botswana a fountain as an independence gift in 1966 and located it in Gaborone. Unfortunately, the fountain no longer produces water. We all speculated that the pipe drilled through the Earth to provide aloha water was a lowest-bid contract that no longer worked.

In any event, this piece of history reminds us all that relationships are easily established but difficult to maintain when government personnel come and go. Botswana is quite a wealthy country, full of pristine natural areas and friendly people and plagued with a high incidence of HIV.

There is much Hawaii could do to help Botswana and much we could learn from the people. Maybe someday the state will renew cordial relations with our antipode now 40 years into its independence.

Snip the string before tossing lei in ocean

Lots of lei tossed in the ocean on Memorial Day. Lots of string tangling the reef the next day. When will we learn to snip the string and toss only the flowers?

Don't trust Ken Lay even after death

It's becoming common knowledge that Enron's Ken Lay, found guilty of fraud, not only was a huge financial contributor in George Bush's initial campaign for the presidency, but also that he worked closely with him in the 1990s (when Bush was the governor of Texas) and in the 1980s (when Bush was an oil executive).

Lay might have hoped for no jail time, like the president's brother Neal for his mismanagement of investors' funds in the Silverado Savings and Loan scandal or the punishment Bush's grandfather Prescott Bush received for trading with Nazis during World War II. Both only paid fines.

What's Lay to do with a life sentence lurking in the shadows? He could look find someone who resembles himself, with similar teeth. If this imposter were mortally wounded in an unfortunate fiery accident, witnesses could mistakenly identify him as Lay, as would the dental records. Then Lay would be able to slip out of the country in Phase Two of his fleece-and-flee scam.

So how could Lay locate dental records that match his? Possibly from friends in the National Security Agency who have been collecting information on every citizen in the country for years and have the database to die for -- or from!